


Can I Steal You For A Second?

by pidgewidgeon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Bachelor AU, Drama, Drunkenness, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Keith, Happy Ending, Hate to Love, Lots of side characters, M/M, Mutual Pining, PINING KEITH, Pining, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, allura and lance are bffs, allurance bedding wars, and then he really wants to be there, background shallura - Freeform, background shunk, bi lance, eventually, everyones at least 21, host coran, keith doesnt want to be there, klance, lance as bachelor, like mega slow burn, lotor is smooth af, maybe some smut, nyma as ex, pining lance, producer allura, theyre a mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-03-09 14:57:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13483893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pidgewidgeon/pseuds/pidgewidgeon
Summary: KLANCE BACHELOR AULance is one hell of a romantic. So when he's chosen as the next Bachelor, he sees it as his chance to find The One- despite previous bad experiences on the show. Now he has to meet the contestants, figure out what he wants, and hopefully fall in love- but will he choose the right person?Feat. the first ever bi bachelor competition, lots of reality show drama, some angst, and maybe even some fluff~Enjoy!





	1. Episode One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my bachelor AU!
> 
> Now i know i have a history of leaving unfinished fics, but i feel really strongly about this one, so i'm going to promise you all right now that i will complete this one!! so dont be afraid to read it
> 
> basically i just wanted a dramatic, angsty, yet still fluffy klance fic
> 
> please enjoy! kudos, comments, and chocolate milk always appreciated~

“Hello, America, and welcome back to this season of _The Bachelor_!”

Lance stands, hands confidently on his hips, half-listening to Coran exuberantly introduce the show to the handful of cameras scattered around the driveway. It feels strange to be back here, to be seeing the show from the other side, to know that in a few short minutes he might be meeting his future husband or wife.

Or about to realize that he’ll be spending the next few weeks fake-falling in love with a bunch of assholes. But he can pretend to not be worried about that for now.

“Now, we have a bit of twist this time: Lance McClain, our very eligible bachelor, and whom some of you may recognize from a previous _Bachelorette_ season, is a bit different from previous bachelors we’ve seen. For the first time in show history, we’ve got a bisexual lead! This means we will have both men and women competing this season for this man’s heart. Lance, how do you feel about that?”

An easy smile slides onto Lance’s face. “All that means to me is they’ll need to try twice as hard to catch my attention. And I’ll need to show whoever I end up with that they’re twice as amazing as anyone here.”

“A romantic answer, as always. And as we’ve seen, Lance here is a _very_ romantic person.” With a suggestive eyebrow wiggle, he motions for Hunk to cut the cameras.

Immediately, Lance is set upon by a mob of makeup artists, hair stylists, and designers, each making miniscule tweaks to his appearance. Next to him, Coran is discussing the transition into the background segment with Pidge. Behind them, Shiro and Allura are bent over a screen, discussing the raw footage and directing different crew members around the set. Lance is left to stare, silently admiring the amount of work that goes into producing just this one scene.

He must have zoned out a bit, because suddenly Allura is next to him, smiling softly. “It’s a bit overwhelming, I know, but you’ve at least got the advantage of having done this before.”

Lance smirks. “No worries, love. I’ve got no problem with having people fawn over my every move.”

She rolls her eyes. “You know, if you keep up that attitude, it’ll be a miracle if we can even find one contestant willing to put up with you.”

“Oh, come on. We both know I’m quite the catch. Really, you should be worried about not falling for me yourself.”

Allura mockingly folds her hands over her heart. “You’ve found me out, Lance. I’ve been deeply in love with you this whole time.”

“Oh, shut up.” He bumps her shoulder with his, nodding towards Shiro, who’s bent over his laptop, running his hands idly through his hair. “You forget I can be pretty observant when I want to be, Princess. And I’ve seen you two lately.”

A pink blush spreads over her cheeks. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.” With that, she briskly walks away, leaving Lance snickering quietly to himself.

“First limo is prepped,” Shiro calls out, one hand pressed over his headset. “Awaiting okay to drive up.”

The activity on set once again picks up, and Lance is gently shoved into position. His stomach has relocated somewhere up near his heart, so he focuses on breathing, on the in-out, in-out. When he told his family he was going back on the show, he had laughed along with a number of jokes about how the relationships never actually worked out, how the love between couples was almost always fake. But goddamn if he isn’t hopeful, if he isn’t desperately nervous, because he can’t help but think that he will walk away from this with the love of his life next to him.

He’s a romantic. He wants to find The One. And despite his own experiences, he believes in the show’s ability to make that happen.

From behind the cameras, Shiro and Allura smile at him, Hunk sends a thumbs-up, and Pidge flips him off (lovingly, he thinks). The cameras are once again running, and he manages to school his expression into something resembling nonchalant confidence.

And then there’s the sound of wheels on gravel, and a sleek, black, limousine pulls into the driveway. The car stops, the door opens, and one of the most gorgeous guys Lance has ever seen gracefully unfolds himself from within.

Long, silver hair, tanned skin, violet eyes, muscular build. And he’s like six foot three, which is just adding insult to injury at this point. Like, he’s literally flawless. Lance is gaping as the man strides up to him.

“A pleasure to meet you, Lance,” he says, and to top it all off, he’s got a British accent not unlike Allura’s.

Somehow, Lance manages to scrape his jaw off the ground. “Believe me, the pleasure is all mine,” he says, hoping the breathlessness in his voice isn’t noticeable.

“I would disagree,” the other man whispers, smirking. “But please, allow me to introduce myself- Lotor Kova, at your service.”

Lance is pretty sure he’s visibly blushing at this point, but still makes an effort to keep his composure. “Lotor, huh? Well, I’m impressed.”

Lotor chuckles quietly. “I suppose I need to let you meet the others, but I hope you’ll find me inside later on.” And suddenly he’s kissing the back of Lance’s hand, but it doesn’t seem cheesy, it’s actually _super hot_ -

Lotor saunters away, and it takes a Herculean effort for Lance to turn back towards the limo. The other four contestants are perfectly sweet, and all of them are incredibly attractive, and Lance feels like shit because he can’t focus on any of them. His mind is stuck firmly on the feeling of Lotor’s lips on his hand, and wondering how those lips would feel on other places-

No. Nope. Not doing that, not here, not now. Lance owes it to the others to make an effort with each of them. Zethrid, Florona, Antok, Te-Osh- he does his absolute best to pay attention, but after they’ve all disappeared into the house, he can’t attach a face to any of their names.

Shaking his head, he takes a few deep breaths in the minutes before the second limo pulls up. He’ll have plenty of time to freak out about Lotor later.

He does a lot better with the rest of the limo groups. Acxa shows up wearing leather pants and a motorcycle jacket, and she gives off a very badass vibe. Shay is the exact opposite- she trips over the train of her dress getting out of the limo, and is adorably embarrassed for the rest of their conversation. Sven has a hip European thing going on, and looks strikingly similar to Shiro, which definitely isn’t a negative. Rolo is another effortlessly-cool type, and talks animatedly to Lance about cars for a few minutes. And then there’s Ezor, who seems to have Lance’s exact playful, bubbly personality. Thace and Plaxum catch his attention as well, since they both have a mysterious air to them that makes him want to know more.

As the fifth limo pulls away, Lance runs his hand through his hair, taking a moment to collect himself. He can hear snatches of conversation coming from inside; taking a few more deep breaths, he turns to head into the house.

“Lance, wait-” Allura has stood, and is looking at Lance with a strange expression- _she almost looks guilty_ , he thinks.

Then he hears a motor coming from down the drive. So there are a few more coming- no problem. Allura should know he doesn’t mind-

A cherry-red mustang pulls around the corner, and Lance knows why Allura feels bad. His stomach immediately falls, his fists clench, and he feels like he’s been punched in the chest.

Nyma steps out of the driver’s seat, a beautiful yellow gown sweeping around her ankles. She smiles shyly at him as she draws closer.

“Hi,” she says.

“Hey,” says Lance. He risks a glance at the crew- Allura, Coran, and Shiro look ashamed, and Pidge and Hunk look shocked. So at least all of them weren’t in on the betrayal.

“I… I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now.” She sounds so timid, so regretful, and it’s kind of killing him.

“Yeah, that’s a fair statement.”

“I just- I realized I made a mistake. A really, really big mistake. And I feel like it’s only fair to you that I show you that I’m committed now. I’m here to show you that I still care, and I’m willing to fight. So…  so I’ll see you inside.” She presses a kiss to his cheek and slips away.

Lance’s world is crashing down around him, but who cares, because Allura is once again gesturing for him to wait. _Oh God, there’s more_.

This time, it’s a red motorcycle. The driver is clearly male, wearing tight black jeans, a black v-neck, and a cropped jacket with black boots. He slips off the helmet, and even though Lance feels a bit like dying, he’s still hit by how _hot_ this guy is. Long black hair, gorgeous bone structure, eyes an even deeper violet than Lotor’s.

He casually ambles up the drive to where Lance is waiting, not even pretending he isn’t checking Lance out. His eyes sweep up and down his body, finally meeting Lance’s, and looking a little unimpressed.

He holds his hand out. “Keith.”

After a second, Lance shakes it. “Nice to meet you.”

“And you are?”

For a second, Lance thinks he’s kidding. But those purple eyes hold his, unblinking, and then Lance gets kind of pissed. Keith might be hot as hell, but if he doesn’t even care enough to learn Lance’s name- well, that’s just disrespectful. He was warned by production that some people apply for the show just to get exposure or earn notoriety, but never thought he’d be able to pick one out so easily.

“The name’s Lance,” he finally gets out, the irritation clear in his voice.

Keith only raises his eyebrows. God, he doesn’t even have the decency to act sorry! Well, at least this rose ceremony is gonna be pretty damn easy for Lance.

Finally, Keith shrugs. “Look, I’m gonna head inside. Find me later if you want to hang.” Lance can only nod indignantly, and then it’s over.

Allura comes up to him, clearly nervous. “Lance, I’m so sorry-”

“God, you _knew_ she’d be here! And you didn’t think to warn me-”

“It was an order from the show executives! Believe me, we all wanted to tell you, but they wanted an ‘authentic’ reaction from you-”

“Damn it, Allura, how am I supposed to do this? She _broke my heart_ three years ago-”

Sympathy fills Allura’s eyes. “I know, all right? I was right there with you. But this is a television show, and even if the crew just wants you to be happy, the execs want ratings. I know it’s an awful situation to put you in, but I do think it will all turn out for the best, okay?”

Lance lets out a long breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay. Okay, you’re right. I can handle this. I’m over her. I can deal with her until the rose ceremony tonight.”

Allura’s face falls again. “Lance… They want her to last until the final five.”

“WHAT.”

“Look, I’m sorry, but ratings have been falling. They need to up the drama.”

He just shakes his head. There’s no point arguing. “Am I at least going to be able to get rid of Keith tonight?”

“I mean, you could. But that might piss off Shiro.”

“Why on earth would Shiro care?”

Now it’s Allura’s turn to look surprised. “Lance, Keith is his little brother.”

 _Fuck_.

 

* * *

 

After a few more minutes of general freaking out, Lance feels like he’s calmed down enough to go inside and present the First Impression rose. He nods to Coran, who goes inside to get the contestants under control.

_This won’t be so bad. So what if Nyma and Keith have to stay for a while. You don’t have to pick either of them._

Once again, Lance lets the aura of flirty confidence fall over him. He hovers just inside the doorway, waiting for Coran to give him his cue-

“Ladies and gents, here he is now!”

Immediately upon entering the room, Lance’s eye is drawn to Lotor, who is lounging on one of the couches in a very distracting way. From there, his gaze moves to Nyma, tucked between a few of the other girls, and then Keith, standing against a pillar a bit removed from the group. Lance resists the urge to roll his eyes.

“Hey, everyone,” he finally says, smiling softly. “It was great to meet you all, and I cannot wait for the cocktail party. Before we can get to that, I do have one rose to present-” he produces the flower from within his jacket, and everyone immediately perks up- “and the First Impression rose has got to go to Lotor.”

The man in question gives a victorious, if slightly lazy, smile, and sits up just enough to take the rose from Lance’s hand. Their fingers brush ever so slightly, sending an electric jolt through Lance’s nerves.

Swallowing, he manages to grin at the assembled men and women. “Well, don’t let me keep you. Please, go enjoy the party!”

The rest of the night goes essentially as Lance expected. Every few minutes, he’s sought out by another contestant. Some of the conversations leave him laughing, some smiling, and some confirm that they aren’t meant for him. Sven entertains him with stories from his childhood in Sweden, while Shay opens up a bit about her family. Ezor challenges him to a race, which he loses, and Acxa wastes no time in kissing him behind the rosebushes. Nyma tries to talk to him more about her _Bachelorette_ season, but he brushes her off, unable to deal with that can of worms at the moment. Lotor flirts with him at a few points throughout the evening. Keith, notably, never tries to speak to Lance. _It’s as if the guy is trying to get kicked off_ , Lance thinks, but there’s no way he’s getting rid of Shiro’s brother. Not yet, anyway.

Finally, Lance feels ready to make his decision. Coran calls the contestants into the room and lines them up. Hunk, in between massive yawns, gets the cameras set up. Pidge is buzzing around, coffee in hand, yelling animatedly. Allura brings Lance his tray of roses while the makeup artists once again get him camera-ready.

Finally, the set is ready. Lance clears his throat, slightly nervous.

“I know it’s late, and I promise I’ll make this quick so you can all get to bed as soon as possible. I just want to say that I know how much it sucks to not get a rose-” he pointedly avoids looking at Nyma here- “and that if you don’t get one, it’s in no way a reflection of your personality or even my opinion of you. You are all so incredible, and I’m honored to even have spent tonight getting to know you.”

With that, the ceremony process begins. It takes forever, because after each name the cameras have to be reset, and occasionally Lance has to be reminded of someone’s name. Slowly but steadily, he makes his way through the flowers.

“Zethrid. Plaxum. Shay. Sven. Rolo. Acxa. Ezor. Thace. Do you accept this rose?”

They all do. Finally, he’s down to two roses. Sighing, he lifts one carefully, by the stem. Looking out at the few still assembled in line, he bites the inside of his cheek.

“Nyma.”

Her hands float up to her face. It seems like there are actual tears in her eyes. She takes the rose from his hand and throws her arms around his neck before he can say anything else. Hesitantly, he wraps his around her lower back.

“Thank you,” she whispers, and then she’s back with the other rose winners.

Coran steps back to the front of the room. “This is the final rose. Lance, when you’re ready.”

Taking a deep breath, Lance takes the final rose from the tray. Keith is standing there, arms crossed, a self-satisfied smile dancing across his face. He seems almost happy to be in the final few. _Probably because he knows it’s good drama_ , Lance thinks bitterly.

“Keith.”

For a second, the other man’s face falls. He looks almost shocked- but then it’s gone, replaced with a cool disinterest. All he says is “thanks.”

Coran gives the unlucky contestants who did not receive a flower a few minutes to say their goodbyes, and then the show has wrapped for the night. Though a few cameras will remain through the night, to keep an eye on the competitors, Lance and most of the crew is free to leave.

He goes to help Hunk and Pidge pack up, exhaustion dragging his eyelids down and making his movements sluggish. Part of him is aware he’s being watched, but he’s too tired to care who. Not until everything is packed and he turns to head towards his room does he notice Keith, who’s staring at him with a puzzled, slightly hostile expression. Whatever. It’s too late- really, too early- to care about that mullet-haired douche.

Finally, Lance collapses into bed. In the few moments before sleep claims him, he can only think one thing:

_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we have it, part 1 of my bachelor au
> 
> to be honest with you, I've only seen three episodes, so I promise I'm doing research on the show format but if I make any mistakes with how it's usually set up just let me know!


	2. Episode Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is out nice and early because I worked on it instead of my essay in history today :)

The alarm begins blaring at 5:15 sharp. From beneath a mountain of blankets and pillows, a  single lanky, tan arm reaches out, blindly slapping around the nightstand for the source of that goddamned noise.

“Wake up, sunshine!” An all-too-familiar (and all-too-cheery, considering the ungodly time) voice calls out from the foot of Lance’s bed.

His face emerges from the mess of bedding, eyes half-shut and skin creased with indentations from the sheets. “Allura, it’s a good thing we’re friends, or I swear to god I’d sue you for inhumane working conditions.”

She only clicks her tongue. “Come on, Lance. We need to get you through breakfast and makeup by 6, and you need to give me your picks for the one-on-one and group so that Shiro and I can approve them in time.”

“I pick whoever is going to let me sleep for another 20 minutes.”

And then Lance’s carefully constructed blanket nest is suddenly ripped away from him. He curls his knees up to his chest, suddenly freezing in his thin cotton shirt and boxers.

“Alluraaaaaaa,” he whines. “I just want to sleeeeeeep.”

“Tough luck, darling. You’ve got five minutes to get dressed, or I’ll call in Shiro.” With that, she saunters out of the room.

Grumbling, Lance manages to roll himself out of bed, throwing on some nice jeans, sneakers, and his favorite blue button-down. He doesn’t even bother to look at himself in the mirror- no point, since makeup will have full control over his appearance- before stumbling out the door.

Allura is waiting for him, and _of course_ she looks perfect, her white hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail that complements her black business-casual attire.

Lance turns right back around, pawing at the door to his room. He’ll never look that good, so he might as well go back to bed, right?

“Nope.” Allura grabs him by his collar and drags- literally _drags_ \- him down the hall and into the elevator. She only releases him when he sighs and rubs his hands over his face, a clear signal of defeat. “So, you’ve got ten minutes to eat, because makeup wants you for at least half an hour-” here, she pauses to give him a once-over- “and I think that’s definitely going to be necessary. Then we’ve got the car ride to the mansion, where we’ll get you prepped for the one-on-one. Which is going to be a day trip to San Fran, by the way. So you need to let Shiro and I know who you’re taking by the end of makeup at the latest, all right?”

Lance can only nod. To be perfectly honest, all he can think about right now is a nice big bowl of cereal. The first one-on-one date is not exactly a priority.

Finally, they make it to the hotel’s breakfast area. Allura politely ignores Lance’s complete lack of table manners, tapping away at her cell phone as Lance shovels Cheerios into his mouth. From there, they head to the makeup staging area, where the poor stylists do their best to make his hair look somewhat presentable.

Now that he’s feeling a little bit more human, it’s probably time for Lance to decide who he’s going to choose today. His immediate preference, of course, is Lotor. But maybe he’d better hold off until a later date for that. Then there’s Ezor and Acxa, but neither of them seem right for a casual hangout in San Francisco. Sven seems too high-class as well; Rolo would probably prefer something more hands-on. As for Keith- well, Lance just shakes his head. Lauren, the head makeup artist, glares at him.

No. Not Keith. Lance will keep him around for a while, just to make Shiro happy- he’s assuming Keith is doing this because Shiro asked him to- but that doesn’t mean he needs to pay the guy any attention.

After a while, he’s decided on Shay. She seems sweet, down-to-earth, and Lance has a feeling he’ll just have fun with her. He motions Allura over to let her know he’s made his choice.

“Perfect. She seems nice, too,” Allura remarks, sending off a few quick texts to let the rest of the crew know. “Now you just need to write the date card. And, for the love of god, please don’t use puns.”

Not in the mood to make a joke out of it, he scribbles out a quick “San Fran-see-ya-later!”, signs his name, and slides the card over to Allura.

She reads it over, mutters off a quick thank god that there are no sex jokes, and then they’re being shepherded towards the car.

“It’s weird not having the cameras on me 24/7 this time,” Lance says idly, just to make conversation.

Allura smiles over the top of her phone at him. “Perks of being the lead.”

“Yeah, that and not having to stay in the mansion with twenty other desperate guys.”

“Oh, I don’t know, sounds pretty nice to me,” Allura teases.

Lance gasps in mock horror. “Why, Allura! Is that something a nice, respectable woman would say?”

“Lance, I work in reality television. There’s very little that’s nice or respectable about me.”

This reduces the both of them to giggles for the rest of the ride. Upon arriving at the mansion, Lance is once again swarmed by stylists. A mic is clipped to his waistband and threaded up through the front of his shirt; after a few sound checks, he’s once again released, standing awkwardly as the team gets to work around him.

“Hey, Lance.” Shiro, wearing his ever-present headset, gives him a distracted smile as he walks by. “Coran is just about to give them the date card, so just hang out until Shay comes out.”

“Sounds good, man.” Then, because he can’t help it, he adds, “I didn’t know Keith was your brother.”

For some reason, Shiro looks a bit guilty, like he’s been caught in a lie. He swings around to stand next to Lance. “Oh, um, yeah. He’s on the show as a favor for me.”

So that confirms that Lance can’t get rid of Keith yet; if Shiro wants him here, he’ll stay. “Gotcha. Can’t believe I didn’t know you had a sibling, though.”

Shiro chuckles. “Well, he’s my foster brother, if it helps. Normally, I talk about him all the time- just ask Allura, she probably knows him as well as I do by now- but you know how it is with work. I’d hate to be keeping someone from getting stuff done because I was discussing personal things.”

Lance’s answer is interrupted by Pidge signaling from near the mansion doors. Shay would be out momentarily, which meant he needed to be ready for the cameras.

With a wink, Shiro moved back to his director’s chair. Taking a moment to smooth down his hair and straighten the collar of his shirt, he slipped into his most charming smile.

Shay, of course, looks adorable. Her cropped hair is pinned back with flowers, showing off her giant hoop earrings, and she’s wearing a floral crop top with bermuda shorts and sandals.

“Hey there, Shay!”

She giggles, once again nervous. “Oh, um, hi, Lance! Thanks for picking me for the one-on-one.”

“Oh, don’t thank me yet,” he teases, holding out his arm. “Just watch. We’ll probably get pooped on by a seagull or something and you’ll never want to go out with me again.”

She only laughs, gratefully taking his arm and slipping into the limo. Before Lance gets in, he glances back at the mansion, only to meet a pair of lilac eyes staring back at him. Lotor smiles slowly, winks, and disappears back into the house.

Lance is fairly certain his knees have turned to jelly. But he’s on a date with Shay, so he’s got to be sure to focus on her. Collapsing into the backseat, he grins at her, hoping to god that the cameras didn’t pick up the interaction with Lotor.

He doesn’t need the world to know that he’s already got a favorite.

 

* * *

 

The date with Shay goes amazingly, of course. They take a helicopter ride from Agoura Hills to San Francisco, and she was absolutely amazed by the scenery. Over the roar of the rotor, she tells Lance that she’s never been in an airplane, much less a helicopter, before. It makes him really happy to think he’s been able to give her this experience, and it’s just the transportation to the main event.

In San Fran, they do every touristy thing the producers could think of. Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Alcatraz- they go everywhere, see everything, and the cameras capture the whole thing. It makes Lance even more grateful that he isn’t involved in the contestant drama; he just gets to enjoy the date, no worries about how the others will react.

Shay was definitely the right pick. She’s like a kid in a toy store; everything they see excites her. She talks with the vendors at the wharf, begs to rent bikes for the trip across the bridge, listens to the entire Alcatraz video tour- it’s really, really fun for Lance to just watch her.

Her kindness astounds him, too. When they drove past a particularly large shanty town, she demanded they go by the grocery store and purchase a shit-ton of food. Then they went back, and the two of them personally distributed a good thousand dollars of produce. Whenever Lance glanced back at the production team, they had smiles on their faces; really, everyone seemed to be enjoying this.

Finally, they ended up on a beach at sunset, searching for shells in the low tide.

“Yeah, I have a brother,” Shay says distractedly, combing through the wet sand with her fingers. “His name’s Rax, and I love him to death, but oh my god he’s the most protective guy ever. Once, in high school, I was kind of interested in this guy. And you know what Rax did? He dressed up in a hoodie, sunglasses, and a fake mustache and _followed us around on our date_. I really thought I’d die of embarrassment.”

She’s gotten a lot less nervous over the course of the day; at this point, they’re both teasing each other, cracking jokes at the other’s expense. It feels like he’s known her forever.

“So what about you? I bet your family’s even crazier than mine.”

“Hm? Oh- yes, definitely,” Lance laughs. “Man, there are so many stories I could tell you. But my favorite was when my older brother Marco was just learning to drive. He, my dad, and I had pulled up to a gas station so he could practice filling the tank, and Dad says he needs us to run into the convenience store and pick up a few things. Gum, some snacks, you know- and some blinker fluid.

“So, naturally, we’re like ‘blinker fluid?’ And he says ‘yeah, you know, what we put in the car to make the blinkers run. Just go in and ask them, they’ll know.’ So Marco and I run into the store, grab the food, and while we’re checking out Marco asks if they’ve got any blinker fluid. And the clerk just kind of stares at him. So Marco asks again, and the guy says he really doesn’t know what we’re talking about. And Marco starts to get pissed off, and then they’re yelling about this blinker fluid, because Marco thinks the guy’s just being a dick, and this poor employee is just so totally confused.

“Finally, Marco and I just grab the stuff and leave. And for the whole car ride home, Dad just lets him rant about this incompetent worker who had no idea what blinker fluid was, and how he should really be fired, and how isn’t it crazy that there are people that stupid out there? And only when we pull into the driveway does Dad finally say, ‘Marco, there’s no such thing. I made it up.’ And that’s the story of the time Marco got so angry he punched through the windshield of my dad’s truck.”

Shay looks horrified, but she’s also laughing. “Oh, that’s so bad! Was his hand okay?”

“Well, he had a cast for a good few months, and some of his fingers are a little bent, but yeah. He’s fine now.”

She looks beautiful in the setting sunlight, and Lance knows this is his chance to kiss her. But he’s just not feeling it. Not that Shay isn’t incredible, but there isn’t a romantic spark there, and from how she’s nervously eyeing him, he’s guessing she’s thinking the same.

Shay isn’t the girl for him, no. But he’d still like to keep her around, as a friend, if she’d like to stay. And that’s what he whispers in her ear when he hugs her, too quiet for the mics or cameras to pick up.

She’s nodding as they pull apart. So when Lance offers her a rose, she accepts it, albeit with a knowing smile.

And Lance is happy. Because no matter what else happens, at least he’s got a friend in Shay.

 

* * *

 

 

It’s been a few days since the date with Shay. Lance has been told to keep away from the mansion, since the crew wants to get some good b-roll drama from the contestants without him complicating things. But today is group date day, so he’s once again woken by Allura at the crack of dawn. This time, though, he’s prepared, so when she rips off his blankets, he’s snugly wrapped up in a sleeping bag. He thought he might actually evaporate, it was so hot at night, but her expression is totally worth it.

She rolls her eyes so hard he’s pretty sure they actually disappear into her forehead. “Lance, don’t be a child.”

“Give me some credit. No child could have planned a strategy this complex.”

And that’s how Lance ends up in front of the mansion, hair still slightly damp from the cup of water she had dumped on him, with an expression he’d call heroically displeased, and anyone else would call a pout. “Dirty play, ‘Lura.”

She seems unconcerned. “Girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

“This isn’t over.”

“Lance, please. I’m clearly superior, tactically speaking.”

“That cocky attitude will be your doom, Princess.”

“Maybe. But you won’t be the one to do it.”

Lance is mid-offended gasp when Hunk heads over.

“Hey, guys. Just letting you know that I’m going to stay back today to get the permanent cameras in place, so Pidge will be in charge of filming on the date.”

“Thank you, Hunk,” Allura smiles.

The camera guy in question turns to Lance. “So, how’d the date with Shay go?”

Lance shrugs. “She’s super cool, but not for me.”

Hunk’s brow furrows. “I’m confused, dude. You still gave her a rose?”

“I’m still going to have a great time hanging out with her. Plus, she’s definitely going to be a fan favorite, and it’s all about ratings this season, apparently.” He winks at Allura so she knows he’s kidding. “Besides, maybe I’m doing you a favor. She’s not on the group date… You two, all alone at the mansion, no cameras...”

A bright red blush spreads over Hunk’s face. “Come on, man. You know I’m not- I wouldn’t-”

“Whatever you say, big guy,” Lance snickers, clapping him on the shoulder.

And then the eight contestants he’d picked are making their way out onto the driveway. Acxa, Ezor, Zethrid, Sven, Rolo, Nyma, Lotor, and Keith.

Lance looks them over. Most of them seem to be excited; Nyma seems nervous ( _as she should be_ , he can’t help but think; Lotor seems bored; and Keith once again seems perplexed as to how he’s ended up here.

Seriously, what is up with the guy?

Shaking his head, he sends his most winning smile at them. “Alright, guys. I’m super excited for this date, and I think you guys will be too. In fact, I think we’ll have a _smashing_ good time.”

 

 

It’s a demolition derby, and Lance is _pumped._

Everyone gets a chance to decorate their cars, and it’s already fun watching people get creative and express their personalities. Lotor and Keith, in particular, catch his attention. The former coats his in lilac and silver spray paint, with an angry purple monster with glowing yellow eyes on the hood. It’s dangerous, it’s sexy, and when Lotor strips of his shirt- “don’t want to get it too messy-” Lance has to take a few deep breaths. And think about abuela in some compromising positions.

And then Keith- Keith, well…

It’s the Emo-Mobile. Emobile. Whatever you call it, it’s horrible. For one, it’s all black, with red circles around the wheel rims. There are stars sprayed on along the sides, and the hood is decorated with an enormous, overly-detailed dagger, some kind of S-like symbol adorning the hilt. And there are also a good number of skulls sprinkled around the car body.

Lance has been staring at it, horrified, for a good five minutes. It’s like watching some poor gazelle get eaten on Discovery Channel. You want to look away, but can’t.

“What do you think?”

Startled, Lance whips around, only to find Keith smirking at him. Because he thinks Lance likes the car? Because he’s enjoying the physical pain the Emobile is causing him? Either way, Lance is insulted. And it doesn’t help that Keith looks damn good, dressed in a tight black v-neck and dark sweats, sweating a bit from the California heat. His mullet is starting to curl around his neck from the perspiration.

Lance looks away sharply. “Have you ever considered a color _other_ than black? Are you even aware that blue, like, exists?”

“Sure, but blue is much less practical. Black hides bloodstains much better.”

Lance is once again left to gape at this guy. “You’re not serious-”

Keith exhales sharply through his nose, irritated. “Jesus Christ. It was a _joke_ , okay? You do know what one of those is, yeah?”

Now Lance is flustered _and_ pissed. “Um, yeah, no shit. Just surprised _you_ do, Mr. Mullet.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You are aware that your hairstyle has been passé for about fifty years, yeah? And the punchline of a lot of redneck jokes for just as long?”

“Whatever.” With that, Keith stalks away, flipping Lance off over his shoulder. But Lance has once again fixated on something terrifying.

 _He has fingerless gloves_.

What did he ever do to deserve this emo, fashion-senseless asshole in his life?

 

 

As soon as he’s recovered from the trauma of Keith’s entire personality, Lance is ready to start the derby. As soon as Coran has explained the rules- basically, it’s bumper cars, just with real cars, and you go until your vehicle craps out- he sprints for his own car, covered in poorly-painted self-portraits.

It is truly a work of art, in his own humble opinion.

The cameras are in position, Allura and Coran are playing the commentators, and everyone is ready to go. The buzzer sounds, and they’re off.

And damn, it’s fun. Lance gets into the groove quickly: find a target, reverse into them with as much force as possible, and then get the hell out of the way before someone else takes the opportunity to target his hood. Nyma gets out first- she’s too timid, unwilling to play aggressively. Someone lands a lucky hit on Sven, and he’s next. Ezor fights, but Acxa hits her hard; immediately after, Keith swoops in to knock her out too.

Even in the midst of the fight, Lance can’t help but admire the guy’s skills. Watching him dart around the ring- you’d never guess he was driving some piece-of-junk car left over from the 70s. He looks professional, determined, striking quickly and disappearing before anyone else even realizes what’s happened. Lance doesn’t think he’s doing too badly, either, but he looks positively juvenile next to Keith.

The next time Lance catches a glimpse of Lotor, he knows he’s not the only one who’s noticed Keith’s success. There are five of them left: Zethrid, who’s foregone strategy in favor of brute force; Rolo, who’s expertly keeping the vulnerable parts of his car away from danger; Keith, who’s very quickly gaining an advantage; Lance; and Lotor, who is carefully tailing the Emobile around the arena, waiting for a chance to strike.

Keith suddenly dives into the fray, and when the dust settles, it’s clear he managed to get Rolo and Zethrid to crash directly into each other, knocking them both out. She’s angrily cursing Rolo out, and generally being a bad sport, but Lance doesn’t have time to worry about that right now. He might technically still be in, but it’s clear this finale is between Lotor and Keith.

They duck around each other for a while, narrowly missing each time, and they seem perfectly matched. So, when Keith’s car seems to stall, Lotor doesn’t hesitate to attack, barreling full steam at Keith’s hood.

Only in hindsight is Lance able to understand what happened. Keith faked his car stalling to bait Lotor. As soon as he went for it, Keith pulled forward, forcing Lotor to crash the back of his car into one of the totaled vehicles. Then, in the second before Lotor could recover, Keith threw himself into reverse, slamming directly into Lotor’s hood. The silver-haired man furiously tried to start his engine, but it was clear he was out.

It only takes another minute for Keith to get Lance out. To be fair, the second man is still kind of in shock  from the incredible feat he’s just witnessed. Clambering out of the destroyed Lancemobile, he makes his way over to where Keith is pulling off his helmet.

“Great game,” Lance says breathlessly, holding out his hand.

Keith almost looks surprised, but recovers quickly, shaking Lance’s hand firmly. “You didn’t do so bad yourself.”

“Nice of you to say so, but I think it’s perfectly obvious I wouldn’t have made it half so far if everyone didn’t feel like it was their job to be nice to me.”

Keith raises an eyebrow. “So you’re saying it isn’t actually necessary to treat you like God’s gift to man?”

Lance’s lips quirk up. “Well, I wouldn’t be opposed,” he teases, “but, seeing as you’re still here, I’d say it’s pretty clear that being polite is not a requirement.”

With that, he walks away to comfort the losers, wholly unaware of the expression on Keith’s face.

 

* * *

 

 

That night is the second cocktail party, and it goes much like the previous one. He already knows who he’s going to eliminate, so Lance spends most of the time just trying to get to know some of them. He’s laughing with Ezor about some stupid joke she made when someone clears their throat behind them.

“Terribly sorry to interrupt,” says Lotor, not looking particularly apologetic, “but do you mind if I cut in?”

With a smile and a hug, Lance sends Ezor on her way, patting the space on the bench next to him. Instead, Lotor holds out his hand, inviting Lance to walk further into the gardens with him.

Somewhere, there’s a camera on them, but to Lance it feels like they’re the only people in the world.

Finally, Lotor stops under a shadowy grove of trees, gently pressing Lance up against a trunk. In the dimness, his silver hair and lilac eyes gleam even more sharply than usual.

“I was _very_ disappointed to not receive the date with you, Lance,” Lotor sighs, his breath warming Lance’s neck. Lance’s heart is thumping, blood rushing through his veins. _Damn, this man is sexy_.

“I’ve- I’ve got to spend time with everyone,” Lance gasps out.

Lotor just hums in response, and then his lips are on Lance’s, his hand is carding through his hair, and Lance is probably going to explode. Eagerly, he deepens the kiss, threading his fingers around Lotor’s neck.

He has no idea how long they make out- to tell the truth, he’s lost in an alcohol-and-kissing-induced haze- but the feeling of Lotor’s fingers playing at the waistband of his jeans brings him back to himself. Gently, he disentangles from the taller man.

“Hey- no. Not right now.”

Lotor looks inclined to argue, but his features soon settle into agreement. “No. Not right _now_ .” The “but definitely _later_ ” is very clearly implied.

 

The rose ceremony isn’t particularly climactic. Once again, however, it stretches into the early morning, and by the time Lance is down to Zethrid and Thace, it’s taking all the willpower he’s got to not yawn every four seconds.

 

“Thace, do you accept this rose?”

 

He eagerly does, Zethrid throws a bit of a hissy fit, but soon enough Lance is back at the hotel, sprawled under his blanket mountain. As he drifts off to sleep, his mind is filled with orchards at night, silver hair, and purple eyes.

 

If the occasional splash of black shows up, he’s already too far gone to notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> isn't shay cute? i think she's cute i want her to be my irl best friend
> 
>  


	3. Episode Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is quickly going to become the longest thing I've ever written

To be fair to Lance, there isn’t much to do at his hotel. The production company is extremely strict about cell phones, laptops, TV, even books; anytime he goes outside, he’s got to have at least one crew member with him (just in case something especially dramatic occurs); and he’s kept separate from the contestants for most of the time. Really, irritating Allura is the only thing keeping him going right now.

So he doesn’t feel bad, at all, when she once again rips off his blanket mountain- only to find that he has actually duct taped himself to the mattress.

He’s pretty sure she’s lost for words.

“If you’re wondering, yes, I did do this myself, and yes, it was pretty damn difficult.”

“Lance, I am physically restraining myself from punching you in the face right now.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Princess.”

This time she actually decides to call for backup (AKA Shiro). Lance nearly pisses himself listening to her exasperatedly explain the situation.

“Yes, he taped himself to the bed… No, I’m not joking, get your ass down here and deal with this… Shiro, shut the _fuck up_ or I’ll beat your ass, too… STOP LAUGHING.”

When Shiro finally shows up, he has to excuse himself for a moment after actually seeing the situation. Allura is not amused, and follows him out into the hall. Several minutes of muffled yelling later, Shiro returns, a disapproving look glued to his face.

It would be more effective if the corners of his mouth didn’t keep twitching.

Lance tries to make conversation as Shiro slices through the duct tape. “So. Shiro. What’s up, dude? How’ve you been?”

Shiro lets out a sigh. “I can’t decide if I’m impressed or embarrassed by association.”

“Come on, cut me some slack, Shiro! What else am I supposed to do here? There’s no internet, no TV. I’m literally going to die of boredom.”

“I’m pretty sure Allura would have preferred that,” Shiro says wryly.

“Oh, please. You know she’s out there plotting against me. This is probably the most fun she’s had in _ages_.”

Shiro just hums noncommitedly, working the scissors through another strip of tape.

Lance purses his lips. “Anyways. Any luck on that front?”

“Which one?”

“With Allura, dumbass.”

Shiro immediately turns a rather pretty peach color. “Our personal lives are none of your business, Lance.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll drop it. For now.”

Then Allura’s back in the room, and it’s clear Shiro isn’t willing to continue the conversation with her listening in. Ripping the last strip of tape off of Lance (with considerably more force than necessary), he mumbles something about waiting downstairs and quickly escapes the room.

Allura watches him leave, then sinks down on the foot of the bed. “Damn it, Lance, I am actually going to murder you.”

“Well, God knows that would be great for ratings,” he mutters back, rubbing the red mark on his arm. He’s pretty sure Shiro took all the hair off, as well as a few layers of skin.

His best friend just glares at him. “This is _not_ over, to be clear. You’ve made an enemy today, Lance McClain.”

He just grins back.

 

 

About an hour later, Lance is once again waiting outside the mansion, making small talk with Hunk while also engaged in a paper-throwing war with Pidge.

“So, if I tell you this, you have to swear not to freak out or gloat or whatever,” Hunk says solemnly, politely ignoring the small paper balls occasionally ricocheting off of him.

Lance, currently occupied with ammo production, is carefully tearing his itinerary into squares, then rolling them into vaguely spherical shapes. Collecting a handful, he leaps out from behind Hunk, chucks them all in Pidge’s direction, and once again ducks behind the cameraman. “I promise. And this had better be important, cause Pidge is kicking my ass right now.”

Hunk just grins self-consciously. “Shay and I hung out a bit yesterday, while you guys were on the group date.”

Pidge gets in a couple good shots, as Lance is momentarily distracted by this news. “Hunk, holy shit, that’s amazing!”

His friend digs the toe of his sneaker into the gravel. “Well, it wasn’t romantic or anything. Just talking.”

“Talking is the first step, my dear Hunk,” Lance says solemnly, leaning around his friend to launch another barrage of paper at Pidge. “Also, I _totally_ told you so. Not saying I’m the best matchmaker the world’s ever seen, but I’m definitely up there-”

And suddenly his cover is gone; Hunk has stepped away, leaving Lance completely exposed. He opens his mouth, prepared to make some indignant remark-

Pidge sinks a ball of paper directly into his open mouth. Lance, not having expected it, breathes in, and spends the next five minutes alternately coughing and cursing Hunk out. His friend is cruelly unapologetic. “I said no gloating, Lance.”

Lance is saved from coming up with a retort by the appearance of Allura. “Sorry to interrupt, but Thace is ready for the one-on-one, Lance.”

 

* * *

  


As far as dates go, this isn’t a great one. Thace is hot, sure- he’s got a really great beard that Lance is rather jealous of- but there’s just no spark. And even though they’ve only got a three-year age difference, Thace seems to think he’s the most mature guy on the planet. Half of their conversation is Lance saying, “Let’s do this,” and Thace shooting it down with a “that’s so juvenile, Lance.”

Basically, the guy’s hot, but boring as hell. They’ve been on the boardwalk for some six hours now, and Lance still hasn’t gone on a rollercoaster, or spent way too much money on a crappy stuffed animal, or even bought cotton candy.

He could forgive everything else- but disliking cotton candy? Instant dealbreaker. (Maybe Thace was right about Lance’s immaturity. Still doesn’t get him a pass.)

So he doesn’t give the guy the date rose, which means he’s eliminated. Thace takes it pretty well, hugs Lance goodbye, and disappears into the backseat of the limo.

This is the awkwardest part for Lance. He’s stuck in the passenger seat on the hour-and-a-half drive back, only separated from Thace by a thin glass screen. And then he’ll have to watch Thace grab his suitcase and leave, which will only freak the rest of the contestants out. There’s no way to delay them finding out, either; contestants that go on one-on-one dates are required to pack their suitcase and leave it by the front door, just in case they get sent home.

No goodbyes. No climactic end. Just the soft clatter of suitcase wheels on tile, the hushed click of the door swinging shut.

  


The only good thing to come out of a date elimination is that Lance is allowed to spend some time just hanging out at the mansion. Generally, there’s at least one person who freaks out, and it’s Good Ratings if the Bachelor is there to comfort them.

That person turns out to be Plaxum. She finds him wandering through the rose gardens with Rolo, who clears out as soon as he sees the poor girl’s expression.

She tries to smile at Lance, but it’s clear she’s been crying. “H-hey, Lance.”

Concerned, he loops his arm over her shoulders and gently directs her towards a bench. “Hey. Is everything all right?” It clearly isn’t, but he’d feel rude mentioning it directly.

“It-” sniff- “it’s just I’m kind of anxious. Cause I still haven’t been on a date, and I haven’t really talked to you at the cocktail parties, and I just really don’t want to go home yet.”

Lance rubs circles into her back, which seems to calm her down a bit. “Hey, shh. I totally get why you’re nervous. But not getting a date this early on isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Thace was on the group date last time.”

She rubs her nose with the back of her hand. “Y-yeah, I guess. But it makes being around the other competitors really awful. I know it’s supposed to be a drama show, but a few of them are really mean. And it’s mostly just to me.”

Lance nods sadly. “Yeah, it sucks. On the bright side, it means they think you’re competition.”

“But it’s n-not just about me not getting a date. She makes fun of how I look, how I talk, how I dress. She says I’m too poor to be on this show, if I can’t even afford good clothes. So, and I know it’s stupid, but I asked my mom to mail me some nicer dresses for the cocktail parties. And the box arrived this morning, and all the dresses looked amazing, but when I came back from the pool-” she cuts herself off suddenly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be telling you this stuff. It’s just me being sensitive.”

Lance tugs her closer. “Hey, no, it’s okay. What happened when you went back?”

She looks up at him, and her eyes are filled with tears. It breaks his heart a little that someone would be this mean. “They- they’d all been cut to shreds. Totally ruined. And Ac- the girl who’s been bullying me- had just left the scissors on her bed. So I’d know it was her.”

Anger is starting to bubble in Lance’s stomach. “That’s-”

But Plaxum hasn’t finished. “And that would be okay, I wouldn’t care, or at least I wouldn’t want to let you know, but… But my family is really poor. Like, those dresses probably cost a few months’ savings, which I _know_ Mom can’t afford, but now we won’t even be able to return them or resell them. And I don’t know how to let Mom know.”

Now Lance is furious. Because he knows what it’s like to grow up on nothing, to have to save _every penny_ , and he knows exactly what those ruined dresses mean for Plaxum and her family.

This goes beyond reality-show bullying. This is unforgivable in Lance’s book, and so is the girl who did it. He admires that Plaxum was still trying to keep him unbiased, to hide the girl’s identity, but he had caught the slip. Acxa is going home.

 

* * *

 

Lance cancels the next day’s group date. Well, he doesn’t cancel so much as postpone until next episode, but still. There is no way in hell he’s going to give Acxa more time to torment Plaxum, and he spends the hours leading up to the cocktail party angrily swimming laps in the hotel pool.

Hours later, Allura finds him floating lazily on his back, staring up at the vents in the ceiling.

“Lance, it’s time to get ready.”

He clambers out of the pool, water sloughing off of him in sheets, and gratefully accepts the towel she holds out for him.

“So, because you eliminated Thace on your date today, there’s no reason to hold a rose ceremony tonight-”

Lance interrupts. “I want to get rid of Acxa.”

Allura blinks, but her pace never falters as they make their way back to Lance’s room. “Acxa? Why?”

“I decided there was no future there.” While it isn’t a lie, it sure as hell isn’t the truth; Lance just can’t share Plaxum’s story with Allura. For one, her personal financial status shouldn’t have to be disclosed; secondly, Allura would probably want to get footage of the bullying, and Lance doesn’t want to put the poor girl through that. It’s nothing against Allura- her job is to create (and record) drama, after all- but it feels wrong to purposely out Plaxum about this. Besides, Hunk installed the mansion cameras last week; it’s perfectly plausible that everything’s already on tape.

Allura just nods, already texting the info out to Shiro and anyone else who needs to know. A wave of love for his best friend spreads through Lance; she doesn’t press, doesn’t demand to know more. Just trusts his judgement and rolls with it.

“‘Lura, I love you. You know that, right?”

“Of course.”

  


Three hours later, and Lance is smack in the middle of the party, desperately trying to avoid Acxa. She’s been acting totally normally- which, for her, means trying to make out with Lance behind some form of greenery- and Lance just. Cannot deal with that right now. He’d rather spend time with literally _anyone_ else.

So of-fucking-course it’s Nyma who now appears at his shoulder.

“Hey,” she says quietly. “Got a few minutes?”

Lance hesitates, searching the garden for anyone, anyone who can save him- but then Acxa locks eyes with him, and his fate is sealed. “Yeah, sure.”

She takes his hand and leads him back into the house, up the stairs, onto one of the balconies.

Of course.

She looks up at him through her lashes. “Remember this place?”

“First place we kissed,” he mutters, staring out over the railing.

“Yeah.”

It’s quiet for another minute. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees her clench and unclench her fists. Three years, and she’s still got the same tells.

“Something you want to say?” he finally drawls.

She jumps a bit, startled, but sets her shoulders back resolutely. “Actually, yes. Lance, I feel like you aren’t giving me a chance in this competition.”

He’s never supposed to acknowledge the crew while they’re filming, but Lance can’t help but glance at Hunk, who’s followed them up the stairs with a portable camera. The big guy just shrugs.

Nyma continues, oblivious. “I know you’ve still got- issues- about how things ended last time-”

“Issues? Yeah, I guess that’s one word for it. Nyma, you _left me on a fucking island_ after saying you could never love me, you would never want to be with me, Jeremy was my superior in every way, and I would never be able to compare. But, yeah, issues. Sure.”

She at least has the decency to look ashamed. “I know. I know, okay? I was petty and stupid and drunk on all the attention and praise I got for being a bitch. I don’t even know why I picked Jeremy over you. Lance, I swear, the minute he put that ring on my finger, I knew I’d made a mistake.

“I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to admit it. I had some problems to work through, too. And I never felt like I could approach you, afterwards. I had given you up, and I couldn’t be selfish enough to screw with whatever happiness you’d created in your own life.

“But then I saw you were going to be the next Bachelor, and I couldn’t not take the chance. The chance that, somewhere, under all the hurt I caused, you could still care for me. And that’s why I’m here. And that’s why I’m asking you to give _me_ a chance, to just treat me like anyone else here. Okay?”

Lance is- he doesn’t even know. This is important, really important, but he needs to process in private. Even if it’s just him, and Nyma, and Hunk right now- this isn’t something he can do in front of a camera.

So all he says is “I’ll think about it.” And then he’s brushing past Nyma, past Hunk, slipping downstairs, out into the gardens. People try to stop him, to talk to him, but he ignores them completely. Acxa passes in a blur; Rolo and Ezor, already behind him; he hardly even registers Lotor and Plaxum, deep in conversation behind a low hedge.

He walks until he’s at the edge of the lake (well, it’s more of a large pond, but that doesn’t sound half as romantic). There, he collapses in the sand, puts his head between his knees, and just breathes.

In. Out. In. Out.

He has no clue how long Keith’s been there when he finally lifts his head.

“Hey,” is all he says. Keith just nods in response.

They sit there, together, for another eternity. Finally, Lance feels like he’s got himself under enough control to hold a conversation.

“So, uh… Come here often?”

Keith doesn’t even react to the terrible line, just shrugs. “Yeah. Most cocktail parties, I’m just down here.”

“Wait, really?” Now that Lance thinks about it, he’s never actually _seen_ Keith during the party, just at the rose ceremony. “Why?”

The other boy is just a silhouette in the moonlight, but Lance can still see the frustrated slant of his eyebrows. “Because,” Keith finally says, “I keep thinking you’ll send me home for it.”

Ordinarily, Lance would probably get offended. He’d probably yell a lot. He’d probably take it personally. But that thirty-second confession from Nyma has absolutely drained him, so he just stays silent, waiting for Keith to continue.

“So, Shiro’s my brother,” he finally says. Lance doesn’t mention that he already knows. “Basically, one of the contestants dropped out super last-minute. Normally, they’ve got a stock of backups on hand, just in case this happens. But this person dropped literally _minutes_ before the limos were supposed to arrive, and Shiro was freaked out, because it’s already a pretty small season.

“So I get a call, and he _begs_ me to fill in. I only live, like, half an hour away, so distance isn’t a problem. And I’m gay, so it makes technical sense for me to be a contestant. The plan was just for me to show up, fill the empty spot, and then get eliminated early. Except then you _wouldn’t_ get rid of me-” Keith glares at Lance now- “and I’m still here. Despite doing everything in my power to be such a dick you wouldn’t be able to resist eliminating me.”

Lance just chuckles softly, shaking his head. Suddenly, Keith’s reluctant attitude makes perfect sense. “Alright,” he says after a while. “So you didn’t want to be here at first.”

“No.”

“Want another chance?”

The words are out before Lance can even consider them. But he’s tired, and already has to kick Acxa out tonight, and Keith is also really hot. So.

“Seriously?” Keith’s voice is soft, surprised. _He probably thought I’d drop him right here_.

“Yeah. I mean, I’m already kicking someone off tonight. So you’ve got through next episode, at least. Unless you don’t want to be on here anymore-”

Keith interrupts gently. “No. I mean, yes. I mean- I guess I’m not opposed to sticking around a bit longer. Since you’re offering so nicely, and all.”

They smile at each other for a second. And behind the crushing weight of Nyma’s confession, Lance almost thinks he feels something warm flicker in his chest.

Keith stands, smoothly, more gracefully than Lance would think possible. He extends his hand to Lance, who only hesitates a second before letting Keith hoist him up. _Damn, he’s strong_.

Maybe Lance will hit the hotel gym tomorrow morning. Then he remembers what time he has to get up. _Maybe not._

Slowly, they trudge back to the mansion together.

  


“So, was all the emo stuff part of your plan to make me kick you off?”

“Shut up. Black is badass.”

“Yeah, if you’re a thirteen-year-old with a Hot Topic gift card- OW. I cannot _believe_ you just punched me, you goth asshole-”

“I am NOT goth.”

“Sure, sure, Dracula. Whatever you say.”

  


All too soon, they’re back at the mansion. And almost immediately, Lotor swoops in. “Lance, could I speak to you for a second?”

But Lance is in no mood for more interaction tonight. “Sorry, Lotor, but I just want to get through the rose ceremony right now.”

For a split second, Lotor’s face is pure rage, but it’s gone so fast Lance is pretty sure his exhausted brain just hallucinated it. “Of course. Allow me to escort you in?”

Giving Keith a parting smile, Lance takes Lotor’s arm and follows him inside.

 

Acxa seems shocked to not receive a rose, even going so far as to pull Lance aside afterwards, demanding an explanation. Wearily, he just shakes his head. Pissed off, she yells at him for a while, then grabs her shit and takes off. Thank god.

 

Lance falls asleep that night thinking about anything other than the competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't mind me casually dropping foreshadowing//hints la la laaaa
> 
>  Also! I just restarted my second fic, You're Not Gonna Find Him Here, and am planning to update it concurrently with CISYFAS. If you're interested, you can find it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8533927/chapters/19946158).


	4. Episode Four

Lance wakes up feeling… awkward. He’s a little embarrassed about how last night went down- and he didn’t even do anything too bad, just… The whole thing with Nyma is kind of fucking with his head.

So she still has feelings for him. So what? That doesn’t have to change anything.

_ Damn it, Nyma. _

He had already dealt with all this shit. She had broken his heart, and it had hurt like hell, but he was fine now. He had moved on. He had come out of the whole thing stronger, and had been totally content to never see her again. And now she just comes in, telling him she made a mistake? That she still wants him, as much as ever?

What is he supposed to do with this?

Sighing, he manages to roll himself out of bed. For once, Allura isn’t there to wake him up, which would be suspicious if Lance wasn’t already preoccupied. He goes through his morning routine on autopilot, letting his thoughts take over.  _ Maybe… maybe I don’t have to do anything about it.  _ After all, Nyma just wants him to treat her like anyone else. And he can do that. God, how many times has he wished he could just start over, just forget her and everything she did to him? And now she’s giving him that chance. For both of them to begin again.

Maybe… maybe it will even work out this time.

He’ll have to see about that. Still, feeling considerably lighter, Lance slips out of his hotel room, nearly running into Shiro’s raised fist.

“Sorry! I was just about to knock,” Shiro says sheepishly.

Lance just grins. “No problem, man.” But he has a sinking feeling in his stomach, because Shiro’s presence has reminded him of another awkward moment from last night.

In the sobering light of day, Lance can recognize that his late-night conversation with Keith was kind of weird. Like, the guy just volunteered all this shit about himself; Lance didn’t even need to press. Don’t get him wrong, Lance is glad Keith was honest- and now his standoffish attitude makes sense- but there was no good reason to tell Lance right then.

Maybe Keith just felt guilty, especially when Lance kept treating him like an actual competitor. Maybe he was worried Lance thought he was serious, and wanted to make it clear he wasn’t interested. The thought makes him sad- why do the hot ones never go for him? 

So, if he’s right, and Keith is in no way attracted to Lance, why did he agree to stick around?  _ Probably just to hang out with Shiro, _ Lance’s brain helpfully supplies.  _ Or maybe he’s got a crush on one of the other competitors, and wants to spend more time around them _ -

“Lance, you all good?”

Startled, Lance glances at Shiro, who looks a bit concerned. “Yeah, of course. Totally. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Shiro just shrugs. “You just had a weird look on your face. Look, if the pressures of the show ever get too intense, or you just want to talk to someone, you know that Allura and I are always around-”

“Yeah, thanks, Dad,” Lance cuts in, embarrassed that Shiro was able to read him that easily. “But, sure. I promise that I’ll find you guys if I need to.”

Looking pleased, Shiro just nods and directs Lance into the dining hall. (He doesn’t react to the “Dad” comment, which makes Lance innocently ask if Allura has ever called him Daddy. Shiro spits his orange juice halfway across the table. Lance dies of laughter.)

 

“It’s a beautiful day in this mansion, a beautiful day for a date. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?” Lance is singing in the front yard, serenading a decidedly annoyed Allura. He accentuates the last two lines with finger guns before dropping to one knee before her.

“Lance, you are literally the last person on earth I would ever marry,” she says, not even looking up from her tablet.

Clutching his hands over his chest, Lance gasps dramatically before falling backwards, smacking his head on the gravel. “You wound me, Allura. Look at me. I’m dead now because of your cruel words.”

“Thank goodness,” she sighs, and walks away. Lance stays splayed in the dirt, making pitiful expressions at Pidge. 

“Pidge, never fall in love. Girls are cruel creatures. They’ll take your heart and curbstomp it.”

“Good thing you like boys, too, then,” Pidge says, screwing around with some wires. “Also, how dare you desecrate Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood with your crappy singing.”

“I’ll have you know I have the voice of an angel,” he retorts. “Everyone says so.”

Pidge just raises an eyebrow, waving Hunk over. “Hey, big guy, got any embarrassing stories about Lance and singing.”

Hunk looks pensive for a minute while he examines Lance, who’s still flopped on his back in the dirt. Then his face lights up. “Ohhhh, I’ve got one. So, it’s sophomore year, right? And Lance has a huge crush on this girl- Ginny? Jenny?- even though they’ve literally never had a conversation. So he gets it into his head that he needs to make some kind of statement-”

“HUNK, NO-” Lance shoots up and lunges at his friend, but Hunk dodges, and Lance shoots past.

“So he finds out where she lives from the student directory, and me and him pull up at like seven pm, the Saturday before Homecoming. He’s got this ancient boombox of his dad’s, because he’s decided to go full-on  _ Say Anything _ . Like, he’s got a trenchcoat and everything.”

Pidge has got the creepiest smile on her face as Hunk gets into the story. Lance, to his credit, has resigned himself to his fate, and is now dramatically draped over a speaker, sighing periodically.

“He picks what he thinks is her window, and gets all ready with the boombox, only to find out that it’s broken or something. Maybe we just didn’t know how to work it, but the end result is that he decides to just sing the song himself, holding the boombox as a prop. Lance gets going, and he’s just reaching the chorus when the light in the room flicks on. The curtains open, the window slides up, and her  _ dad _ leans out. And all he says is, ‘kid, she’s got a girlfriend, and you sound like a dying Furby.’ Lance didn’t even respond, just dropped the boombox and  _ ran _ .”

“Oh. My.  _ God _ ,” Pidge shrieks. “I don’t even know how to respond to that. But thank you, Hunk, because I think you just made my year.”

“No problem, Pigeon,” Hunk smiles.

“How could you betray me like this, Hunk? My man? My buddy? I thought we were  _ friends _ ,” Lance sobs from his speaker. Hunk gives him a conciliatory pat on the shoulder. 

“Love ya, buddy, but sometimes you need to be taken down a notch.”

Defeated, Lance storms away from a gleefully cackling Pidge, heading straight into the mansion. None of the crew stops him, which he takes to mean he’s allowed to go in here.

 

When he gets inside, he sees that Allura and Shiro are already here, along with most of the contestants.

Allura notices him hovering awkwardly by the entrance and waves him over. “We’re just about to film the date card,” she whispers. “Just hang out behind the cameras until it’s done. We’re behind schedule, so you guys are going immediately.”

Lance nods and moves to stand behind some of the lighting rigs, hiding himself as best he can. Best to be as out of the way as possible, since he’s pretty sure he’s not technically allowed to be here right now.

Shiro says something into his headset, and the date envelope is pushed through the mail slot in the door. Immediately, people rush for it- Keith and Lotor, Lance notices, hang back.

Seeing Keith makes Lance’s heart beat a little faster, but he brushes it off as nerves. So the guy’s not interested; doesn’t mean Lance needs to act any differently. He definitely isn’t going to try and  _ impress _ Keith, or anything.

When his heart still doesn’t calm down, Lance shifts his attention to Lotor, who’s once again splayed over the couch like it’s a throne. He’s dressed nicely, even better than usual, in dark jeans, a lavender shirt, and leather jacket. Lance suddenly feels guilty- maybe Lotor is expecting to get the date today?  _ Shit. I should have picked him _ .

Whatever. It’s too late to change his pick, and he had his reasons for choosing who he did. Tearing his gaze from the two men, he refocuses on the commotion surrounding the card. 

Nyma has managed to grab it. Looking at her is less painful than it used to be, now that he’s decided to forget their history. He should probably say something to her later, let her know that he’s going to give her a chance. At the very least, the execs will love it. 

His gaze drifts back to Lotor when the name on the card is read, curious how he’ll react. Disappointed? Unaffected? Jealous? Lance wouldn’t mind that last one. What he’s not expecting is the flash of pure anger that sweeps over Lotor’s face. It’s hidden almost instantly, replaced by a calm, if slightly put out, expression. But Lance knows what he saw, and it makes him remember last night, when he turned down Lotor’s request to talk. He’d thought he had seen that fury wrong, but… 

Maybe Lotor just has a bit of a temper. That’s not anything to be concerned about, especially since he seems good at controlling it. Still, Lance can’t shake a sense of unease, and he looks away quickly. 

To his surprise, Keith looks upset, too. It’s nothing too obvious, but there’s a slight tilt to his lips, a tightness in his eyes, that Lance interprets as displeasure, or even… envy?  _ No, that can’t be it. You already know he’s not into you. _

Well, whatever. Lance doesn’t have enough energy to decode Keith’s thoughts. Plaxum, for her part, looks overjoyed that she’s been picked. Stepping out from behind the lighting rig, Lance enters the set, smiles blandly at everyone, and offers his arm to Plaxum. On their way out, he looks back, catching Lotor’s eye for just a second.

His face has changed again. His brows are down slightly, and there’s a smirk on his lips. He looks determined. He looks like he has a plan.

Lance swallows and whips back around.

 

* * *

 

The date goes… okay. Lance can’t help but feel disappointed, because it started out well enough. Walking through Chinatown, they were able to keep up a bit of banter, trading jokes and light insults easily. Plaxum was gorgeous, and even though she was clearly self-conscious at first, Lance was able to get her to open up.

To a point, at least. Because they were super good at casual conversation, but when it got to the deeper stuff, Plaxum just… shut down. He couldn’t get anything out of her. Which was fine- a lot of people are uncomfortable sharing personal info on reality TV- but Lance couldn’t help taking it as disinterest.

She still gets a rose. Lance is willing to give her time. He also doesn’t want to send her home immediately after Acxa. (Seems kind of douchey.)

They get back to the mansion in the early evening- not because the date went all that long. The traffic just sucked. It’s pretty clear that the other competitors take their late return as a serious threat, especially when Plaxum “accidentally” falls into his arms when getting out of the limo. Lance doesn’t blame her for wanting to establish herself as real competition, but the move is so cheesy he can’t help but roll his eyes.

Keith, of course, is the one who sees. He’s on the opposite side of the limo as everyone else-  _ coming back from the lake _ ?- and therefore the only one who can see Lance’s face. He sends the Bachelor a supportive thumbs up.

Lance decides to take advantage of their relative privacy. As Plaxum loudly apologizes, running her hands over his chest, he mouths “help me” at Keith. The other boy breaks out in a grin, hurriedly lifting his hand to cover his mouth-

_ Oh my fucking god I forgot about the fingerless gloves _ .

Lance’s instinctual reaction is to recoil from such an emo fashion faux pas, which Plaxum takes as him pulling away from her. Desperately, she plants her hands on his cheeks and pulls his face to hers.

Oh. 

Kissing Plaxum is fine and all, but nothing special. Immediately confused by his own lack of excitement at kissing a hot girl, Lance chalks it up to the surprise of the kiss, and passionlessly returns the kiss.  _ Now, if  _ Keith  _ had been the one to ambush him _ -

No. Nope.  _ Already established he’s not interested _ , Lance reminds him, carefully extricating himself from the kiss. Still, he can’t help himself, and looks back over the hood of the limo to gauge Keith’s reaction. The other man is  just standing there, examining his gloves, clearly unaffected. Lance feels his heart sink a bit.  _ Well, what were you expecting, stupid? _

Finally turning towards the other competitors, Lance casually slings his arm over Plaxum’s shoulders, directing her towards the mansion. Faces watch them pass, and he’s surprised how easy it is to tell what they’re thinking. Jealousy, sadness, anger. He’s a little caught off guard by the intensity of emotions; he’s talked to most of these people a handful of times. How can they already be so into him?  _ I should probably feel flattered _ , he thinks, as he takes a seat on the couch.  _ But mostly I feel creeped out. _

Plaxum eventually moves away, probably to spread the word about her  _ amazing  _ date with Lance. Who knows; maybe she thought it went better than he did. At any rate, he doesn’t much feel like correcting her.

It’s so odd, this sudden sense of apathy about the competition. Just a week or so ago, he’d been bouncing off the walls, full of excitement, sure he was about to meet The One. But now it’s like he doesn’t even need to think about it. Almost as if he’s already made a decision.

Lotor gracefully takes the seat to Lance’s right, effectively wiping away his train of thought.  _ Damn, this man is gorgeous _ .

“I feel as though I haven’t seen much of you, Lance,” he purrs, tracing his fingers along the sleeve of Lance’s button-down.

“I- um- no?” Lance says eloquently.

For some reason, Lotor seems to take this as endearing (rather than exceptionally awkward), and he lets out a soft chuckle. “Want to come exploring with me?”

And that’s how they end up making out in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Lance’s mind is mush, the sensory override essentially destroying any higher-functioning thoughts. He’s lost in an exceptionally pleasant lavender cloud. And then Lotor’s hand brushes over the front of his pants. Once. Twice.

Lance abruptly sits up. “Hey- um- not that I’m not into that, you know, but I’d rather not- it just feels really soon- I’d rather not go there now, if, um, if that’s okay. With you.”

Lotor looks a bit annoyed, but shrugs. “Sure. Plenty of time for that later.” And with a last forceful kiss, he sweeps out of the room.

Lance immediately regrets saying anything. He hadn’t wanted Lotor to leave, just… slow things down, but maybe that was a mistake. Maybe he should have just gone with it. Well, whatever. He’s already screwed it up, and it’s too late to fix it now.

He takes a minute to straighten the sheets of the bed they’d landed on. Deep red, plain, no personal effects to help him connect it with a contestant. Ah, well. What the owner of this bed doesn’t know won’t hurt them, right?

 

* * *

The group date, in comparison, is relatively uneventful. The execs seem to have marked Lance as a competitive type, since this one is an obstacle course/relay race winding through a downtown parkour gym. Lance is pretty confident in the win; his team has Nyma and Lotor, and they’re facing Rolo, Shay, and Keith. It might get a bit hairy, but they’ve got this.

By the time it gets down to Lance and Keith, he’s a bit more nervous. Lotor is a split second ahead of Shay- who, it turns out, is a goddamn powerhouse- as they race back towards the start.

Lance shoots Keith his best cocky grin. “Prepared to lose, Kogane?”

“In your dreams, McClain.” 

“You’re already there, buddy,” Lance says before he can stop himself. To be fair, Keith is looking like a  _ snack _ , in a tight black tank and loose joggers. His hair is pulled back in a ponytail, with a thin elastic headband pushing his bangs back. They haven’t started running, and Lance is already feeling out of breath.

Keith just flips him off, ducks his head, and gets into a runner’s position. Feelings a bit stung, Lance copies his movements, determined to show Keith who’s boss.

Lotor slaps his hand, and Lance is off. He’s fully aware of Keith, mere feet behind, but does his best to focus on the course. Run, jump, sprint, roll, repeat. Lance is pretty sure he’s never moved this fast; when he touches the opposite wall, he’s immediately flipped around, only to find Keith a few paces ahead, already heading back.

_ Oh HELL no. I am not letting a man with a goddamn  _ mullet _ show me up _ . Lance pushes himself harder than he ever has before, but it isn’t quite enough; he finishes the race a literal step behind Keith.

Coran blows a whistle. “That’s it, boys! It seems Keith has clinched the win for his team!”

Lance doesn’t even have the energy to say something snarky. He collapses forward, falling face-first into the foam pit.

A muffled thump from his left makes him lift his head. Keith has fallen on his back into the pit, and is staring at the ceiling, chest heaving. “Good race,” he pants.

“If you… hadn’t cheated… it would have been better,” Lance gasps out. “There’s.. No way… you touched the back wall.”

“Whatever you have to tell yourself, Lance. But we both know I beat you fair and square.”

“Maybe this time, Kogane. But just you wait. I  _ will _ get you, someday.”

Keith’s face suddenly goes an even brighter red. Lance pushes up off the foam, concerned. “Hey, dude, your face is super red. Like, maybe go drink some water or something.”

He doesn’t understand the exasperated look Keith throws at him. “Yeah. Water. Sure.”

They spend the next few minutes struggling to escape the foam pit. When he finally drags himself onto the gym mat, Lance is breathless again, this time from laughing. And when he looks at Keith, who’s in a similar state, he can’t help but notice his eyes. It’s like they’ve got stars in them.

No, not stars. Universes.

 

* * *

Once again, Lance is left to hang around the mansion while the crew sets up for the rose ceremony. He’s thinking it’s got to be Sven- the guy is cool and all, but maybe a bit too “hip” for Lance- when a familiar silhouette steps in front of him.

“Can we talk for a few minutes, Lance?” Lotor asks, looking serious.

Lance swallows, but nods, gesturing to the seat next to him. Despite going on the group date together, he and Lotor haven’t talked much since their last make-out session, and he can’t shake the sense he did something wrong. Maybe Lotor wants to ask to leave-

“Lance, I think this is going to be difficult for you to hear, but I want you to know that I have your best interests at heart,” Lotor starts, gazing at him sympathetically.

Oh, no. Lance does his best to school his face, chasing the anxiety and self-doubt away. “Go on...”

“Plaxum lied to you.”

Lance can only blink, nonplussed, but Lotor keeps going. “I assume that the reason Acxa was sent home is because Plaxum told you she was being bullied. Now, I admire that you were so willing to trust her. Your loyalty is… impressive, Lance, as is your commitment to your morals. Whether or not other people agree with them.”

Ignoring the dig, Lance just shakes his head. “Why do you say she’s lied to me?’

“Everyone in the house knows, Lance. Did no one else really tell you?” When Lance shakes his head again. Lotor looks surprised. “Well, I won’t assume what their reasons were. I just thought you should be informed that Plaxum destroyed her own dresses to frame Acxa.”

Lance laughs. “That’s insane. She told me they cost her family a small fortune. WHy would she destroy them to get one person kicked off?”

Lotor is once again serious. “Because she’s obsessed with you, Lance. Tell me, did you ever ask to see the proof? To look at the footage? Or did you trust her, because she took advantage of your empathy?”

Lance still doesn’t buy it, and it’s clear Lotor can tell. Standing, he sighs. “If you won’t believe me, ask the crew, or one of the contestants you do trust. I hope that after they confirm what I’ve said, you’ll see that I really do just want the best for you, Lance.” Once again, he leaves quickly.

Lance wastes no time finding Shay. His friends in production aren’t allowed to tell him about what happens in the house, but there are no rules about getting info from contestants.

Her face falls as soon as he asks. “Oh, Lance… I’m afraid Lotor was right. I had no idea that was why Acxa was sent home- if I had known, I would have been able to tell you that she was with us all day, by the pool. I don’t know if Plaxum really did destroy her own dresses- that part was true, at least- but it wasn’t Acxa who did it.”

Lance’s vision is swimming, but with anger. He gives Shay a quick thanks before going to find Allura; he’s pretty sure that what he’s got in mind will be approved. It’s all about ratings, after all.

 

The rose ceremony has finally begun. Plaxum looks a bit confused about why she’s been asked to stand with the rest of the contestants- she’s already got a rose, after all- but doesn’t put up much of a fight. Lance takes it as confidence; she probably thinks he’s an idiot. Her performance earlier today, in front of the limo, now makes sense. She probably wanted to show everyone that he had no idea she’d lied.

Thank god Lotor had let him know.

The ceremony goes more quickly, now that they’re down to so few. Shay. Nyma. Ezor. Lotor. Rolo. Keith’s fingers brush Lance’s when he takes his rose. It sends sparks through Lance’s nerves.

It’s down to Plaxum and Sven. She looks much more confused to be in the bottom two, especially when Lance doesn’t immediately call her name.

He looks out over the rest of the competitors. Lotor catches his eye and smiles knowingly. Shay gives him a sympathetic grimace. Keith just looks perplexed, which Lance takes as a good thing- he probably wasn’t one of the people knowingly keeping this from Lance. Hell, knowing Keith, he probably had no idea there was any drama at all.

“I hate bullies, but I hate liars even more,” Lance finally says. It finally seems to hit Plaxum, because her face shifts to panic. Lance doesn’t feel sorry for her; she decided to lie and manipulate him, and now she has to deal with the consequences. “Sven, will you accept this rose?”

The man eagerly does. Lance glares as Plaxum approaches him, tears in her eyes. “Lance, please. I can explain- I didn’t want to-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he says coldly. “I’m revoking your date rose. Please go pack your things.”

Sobbing softly, she leaves. Lance watches her go.

They’re down to seven, and so much has already gone down.

Six more episodes. Six more, and then he’ll be engaged to the love of his life. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like my other fic, [You're Not Gonna Find Him Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8533927/chapters/19946158), I want to let you all know that this fic will be finished!! I have got a crazy number of commitments right now, and it's often difficult to find time to write, but it will be completed! So if it's been a while since I updated, don't worry, one is coming.
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


End file.
